The Skagway start of the Klondike Road Relay. Photo Courtesy of Klondike Road Relay.
Whitehorse, YT – The 41st annual Klondike Road Relay concluded in a party in the park on Saturday afternoon not 24 hours after race organizers were forced to cancel the first three legs of the race due to a tour bus crash on the South Klondike Highway shortly before the start.
On Friday, at around 3 p.m., the Skagway Fire Department responded to a vehicle incident involving a 25-passenger tour bus on the South Klondike Highway where the Klondike Road Relay was set to start that evening. The site of the incident was near kilometer 52, just south of the site of a rockslide earlier this summer.
The incident was initially reported by Holland America Princess (HAP). As emergency responders made their way to the scene, two (HAP) motorcoaches arrived at the scene and provided first aid. There were no deaths but one person was airlifted to Whitehorse General Hospital.
Carcross RCMP stated that 24 passengers were aboard with 12 sustaining injuries. They concluded that the bus driver experienced a “medical event” which caused him to veer off the road.
Despite the road reopening around 6:30 p.m., race organizers officially canceled the first three legs due to safety concerns.
“The Klondike Road Relay has managed this situation as best as we can, and are happy to still deliver the majority of the race for all teams involved,” reads the decision which was posted to the relay’s website.
Leg four racers started exactly four hours after the original start time to account for the leg cancellations.
The Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Border Patrol kept the border open overnight until 7 a.m. to accommodate runners leaving Skagway.
Despite the challenges, organizers on social media stated the event turned out to be an amazing race.
One Facebook post reads, “We can’t wait to see you run, walk, and conquer this race for years to come!”
Update September 9th 11 a.m.: This article was updated with information provided by the Carcross RCMP.
